Talkin' to kids about RC

There's an elementary school about 1/2 mile from my house, and I fly there quite often. A few months back, I struck up a conversation with the principal in the parking lot and, long story short, I was invited to talk to the kids about building and flying RC planes. It was as part of an end-of-school STEM day.

As I said, I fly here all the time – it’s the closest park to my house – so I was happy to share. At the end of the talk, I took a quick flight with my Papa Divine flying wing. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. (That's me at far right, in the bright yellow shirt.)

Back in UK when I was in SMAE .... Schools were targeted to do talks and even fly on their Sports days ... or we would ask to do a day for the kids.

It was all because like today - there were few youngsters coming into the hobby. Did it make any difference ? Not a lot - but personally I loved it and I know the kids did as well. Even if they didn't pick up a kit to build / fly.

I don't understand why more schools don't incorporate the design and build of an RC plane as part of a STEM curriculum project. It's a great opportunity to introduce CAD design, aerodynamics, some electronics, and building skills.
The students chosen to be "test pilots" could spend time on a flight sim, and when the project was completed, actually fly the plane (with help from an instructor / buddy box.)
Costs for a plane built with foamboard, and powered by a small motor, battery, and ESC combo wouldn't be much (I bet a local club would have a member with that stuff laying around that would be happy to donate it.)

I don't understand why more schools don't incorporate the design and build of an RC plane as part of a STEM curriculum project. It's a great opportunity to introduce CAD design, aerodynamics, some electronics, and building skills.
The students chosen to be "test pilots" could spend time on a flight sim, and when the project was completed, actually fly the plane (with help from an instructor / buddy box.)
Costs for a plane built with foamboard, and powered by a small motor, battery, and ESC combo wouldn't be much (I bet a local club would have a member with that stuff laying around that would be happy to donate it.)

In Latvia - there is a Crafts Association that receives a bit of funding from Govt and has model building in the syllabus ... so yes it is a good idea.

They generally end up doing chuckies ....

We were invited to fly for them at a show they wanted to organise last year - but no funding came ... so it was all cancelled.

Yes.....They didn't even bother to examine just "how far behind" they left those kids.........our public colleges and universities are full of them....and still getting left behind......with a bill that will take them 20yrs to pay.......unless, of course, there in CA, OR, TX, AZ, WA or FL systems where we will end up paying for it...........and they are "one & done" athletes....!

Certainly part of it, but more to it than that. Today's 4 year Bachelor college grad is equivalent to a high school education 40 years ago. What is really scary is illiterate rate of college grads today is higher than high-school grad 40 years ago. That is what happens when you allow the federal goberment and unions to run schools. The only way to get a good education today in the USA is private schools that do not take federal dollars and the strings that come with it. Money is not the issue, it is the government. It would take more than a generation to fix it, and nothing is going to be done about it. Today kids lack critical thinking skills, cannot handle peer pressure, failures, and criticism. Makes the public real easy to control and believe anything.

I can certainly agree with that. I do mechanical design and most engineers we get are HB1...I would say easy 3-1. The people we get from here just want to be the corner office guy first day out when they can't grab their butt w/both hands tied behind their back.

I just don't get how we can produce less than average students who expect to be leaders first week out of school.

If you think its USA ... think again. Its a disease affecting most 'developed countries' where the do-gooders have destroyed any competition in schools. No longer are Teachers allowed to identify those that will, those that can and those who never will.

I'm 62yrs old and I regard myself as lucky that I received education in UK, it was still the 3 R's ... Reading wRiting aRithmetic ... it was still graded and your next years class was decided on it ... we still had Grammar School levels ...

I read that UK is looking into bringing back Grammar Schools - and guess what - the PC / Do-Gooder brigades are up in arms about it ...

Close school friend of mine was always regarded as less able to maintain the class level ... we were in top Grammar Level at school ... he had to really work hard at it. Everyone reckoned he would not make much after school. Well - he made his first million by time he was 25 ... had already moved into his million pound home next to the Golf Course. Few years back when his wife came back from holiday with her friends ... a brand new Porsche was waiting outside the house tied with a ribbon !

Given todays education syllabus and teaching - I wonder what he would have become ?

I do sometimes wonder if the problem is education or just 'society'.
Where I fly has a rather remote gravel public car park accessed down a rough gravel track.
The area is far from deprived with a highly rated grammar school.
After a flying session I noted a shiny object lying in the grass at the side of the car park. My curiosity got the better of me.
A CO2 bottle?
A bit of poking about and I found quite a number more some of which where part buried in the car park gravel.
Why so many?
A bit of research showed they are likely not for CO2 but N2O (laughing gas) which is apparently used by the younger generation to get a 'high' although it is illegal in the UK to use it.
The bottles are used in 'home' whipped cream makers!
Can we really blame the education system for things like this?

I do sometimes wonder if the problem is education or just 'society'.
Where I fly has a rather remote gravel public car park accessed down a rough gravel track.
The area is far from deprived with a highly rated grammar school.
After a flying session I noted a shiny object lying in the grass at the side of the car park. My curiosity got the better of me.Attachment 186684
A CO2 bottle?
A bit of poking about and I found quite a number more some of which where part buried in the car park gravel.Attachment 186685
Why so many?
A bit of research showed they are likely not for CO2 but N2O (laughing gas) which is apparently used by the younger generation to get a 'high' although it is illegal in the UK to use it.
The bottles are used in 'home' whipped cream makers!
Can we really blame the education system for things like this?

I'm not so sure the conclusion you've made is all that conclusive.....those Co2 cartridges are also used in many "air" rifles, pistols and "paint ball" and "air-soft" gun applications..........since the UK banned "firearms" from being owned by the general public (with few exceptions for hunting), it has been very popular (not only in your country) for those who indulge in "shooting" sports, to own "gas operated .17/.22 caliber guns.......paint ball/air-soft guns also apply.......it's been one way to skirt the "firearms" stipulations and still plink or hunt varmints.......I own three .22caliber nitro break barrel rifles that operate on the same principal as "cartridge" air rifles.......very quiet and effective at short range for varmint hunting.....!

Sorry Mark for getting off topic here......your investment to the education of our youth is to be commended.....!

I remember a Kurt Vonnegut Jr. short story about a society which handicapped the majority of its members so that all people would be equal. For example someone who was slim would be required to wear weights to make them equal with heavier people. I don't recall the name, but I think they made a movie based on the story also. I remember the end of the story was quite disturbing (typical Vonnegut).

I work with a lot of engineers in a high tech company, and the majority of them seem illiterate and sloppy to me. Of course, I'm 67 years old; one of those high school and trade school grads from 40 years ago (oh, all right, 49 years ago). Principles of efficient design, practical applications, and even proper wire dress are lost on them. Don't get me started about what CAD programs like Autocad have done to drafting and drawing standards. They make their mistakes and often claim that the CAD program is at fault, because it did most of the work for them anyway.

Interestingly, three of our best engineers are from the UK, China, and India.

I went to a Catholic school in the late 50's - early 60's, and it was a different world. Sure, we got slapped around some, but in the long run it helped us learn good work ethics and a desire to get things right the first time. My handwriting is pretty good, though my knuckles are scarred and deformed from getting them rapped with a ruler when it was sub par. I recall an incident from when I was in the 4th grade. The sister superior burst into our classroom dragging a 5th grade student by the collar. She flung him into a vacant desk so violently that he fell off the other side of the chair, scattering a bunch of plastic toys as he hit the floor. The kid was pushed back to 4th grade, and he stayed held back one grade for as long as I knew him. He turned out OK as an adult.

The nuns encouraged creativity and personal development, though learning the hard way was the S.O.P. as I recall. Hey, we were animal children, and a little discipline was overall a good thing.

I refrain from talking about the good old days (mostly) because it tends to alienate the younger engineers and techs who think my values are outmoded, and they probably don't believe me anyway.

Thanks for asking. I was referring to the "HS grad of 40 years ago is equivalent to today's college degree" idea put forth above. I'm sorry if I drifted off topic too much. I fully support the principle that teaching RC is beneficial

I remember a Kurt Vonnegut Jr. short story about a society which handicapped the majority of its members so that all people would be equal. For example someone who was slim would be required to wear weights to make them equal with heavier people. I don't recall the name, but I think they made a movie based on the story also. I remember the end of the story was quite disturbing (typical Vonnegut).

I work with a lot of engineers in a high tech company, and the majority of them seem illiterate and sloppy to me. Of course, I'm 67 years old; one of those high school and trade school grads from 40 years ago (oh, all right, 49 years ago). Principles of efficient design, practical applications, and even proper wire dress are lost on them. Don't get me started about what CAD programs like Autocad have done to drafting and drawing standards. They make their mistakes and often claim that the CAD program is at fault, because it did most of the work for them anyway.

Interestingly, three of our best engineers are from the UK, China, and India.

I went to a Catholic school in the late 50's - early 60's, and it was a different world. Sure, we got slapped around some, but in the long run it helped us learn good work ethics and a desire to get things right the first time. My handwriting is pretty good, though my knuckles are scarred and deformed from getting them rapped with a ruler when it was sub par. I recall an incident from when I was in the 4th grade. The sister superior burst into our classroom dragging a 5th grade student by the collar. She flung him into a vacant desk so violently that he fell off the other side of the chair, scattering a bunch of plastic toys as he hit the floor. The kid was pushed back to 4th grade, and he stayed held back one grade for as long as I knew him. He turned out OK as an adult.

The nuns encouraged creativity and personal development, though learning the hard way was the S.O.P. as I recall. Hey, we were animal children, and a little discipline was overall a good thing.

I refrain from talking about the good old days (mostly) because it tends to alienate the younger engineers and techs who think my values are outmoded, and they probably don't believe me anyway.